VATICAN TO CONSIDER ORDAINING MARRIED PRIESTS
The Vatican will consider allowing some
married men in the Amason region of South America to be ordained as priests, in
order to help alleviate a shortage of Catholic clergy there.
In a document released on Monday, the
Catholic Church announced that the question will be debated at a
synod -- a special meeting -- to be held at the Vatican from October 6-27,
potentially leading to a significant change in church rules.
"While affirming that celibacy is a gift
for the Church, it is asked that for the most remote areas of the region, the
possibility of priestly ordination of elders, preferably indigenous, respected
and accepted by their community, even those who already have stable and
consolidated families, be studied in order to ensure the sacraments to
accompany and sustain Christian life," the preparatory document for the
synod said.
According to the Vatican, the Amazon region
includes parts of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana,
Peru, Venezuela and Suriname, which has a population of 2.8 million people
consisting of 400 indigenous tribes that speak some 240 languages.
The region is experiencing a shortage of
priests and Pope Francis called for a special meeting of the region's bishops
to tackle its problems.
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